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ISFP Focus: Introverted feeling and its Allies (part 1 – Fi and Se)

Fi – A State of Zen

When the external world touches Fi sensitivity, like a pebble touches a pond, you will see ripples on the surface of the water, but what is not seen are the ripples generated toward the inside.

Why ISFP’s may say “Sure, Fi is sensitive, but it can also be fierce”, is because Fi in the ISFP is paired with and assisted by Se, which indeed has a fierce energy.

As long as Fi is not put under stress, as long as the inner balance is maintained, the Fi vibe will remain in the default Zen-State.

Yet, despite this being the default state, it is not always the one ISFP’s experience.

Anything on the outside can be a potential danger to the inner balance.

Too much of this and the balance is lost. Too much of that, and the scales tip, creating imbalance.

Fi is always at work trying to maintain the inner atmosphere balanced.

In order to fulfill that job, it uses what powers the auxiliary axis provides.

Se – Grounding Force, Vigilant Defender, Cathartic Companion

Se helps in multiple ways.

It grounds the highly sensitive Fi realm by connecting the inner feelings to the outer environment.

There’s nothing like a walk in a garden or park, or like playing with your cat, dog or other pet to calm down your emotions should they be worried, fearful, angry, etc.

It is there ready to fight in order to protect Fi sensitivity, in both the ISFP, or others they care for. Should the need arise to oppose, confront or take a stance against something Fi has judged as mean, rude, unjust, etc., Se is there ready to roll out its sleeves, be courageous, put itself into harm’s way in order to defend and protect a principle the Fi wants to embody.

It can also act as a heat and pressure valve.

Emotional activity and exertion generates both heat and pressure on the inside. There needs to be a way to dissipate them, lest the emotional pressure builds up to dangerous levels, or the emotional system gets so overheated it leads to an Emotional Meltdown. As ISFP’s, it is likely you’ve experienced these experiences at least once or twice, if not more in your life.

Se can act as a way to blow off some steam and relieve some pressure or cool off the emotional overheat generated by intense emotional activity.

By engaging directly with your surroundings, be them things, nature or even people, Se helps Fi to releive some of the energy naturally generated by Fi functioning, generating a much needed Catharsis.

So you see, it’s not an accident that in the Fi dominant configuration, Se is the auxiliary when it comes to the ISFP. It really serves Fi well to be able to rely on Se in order to maintain a flowing and harmonious process.

How often do we use our functions

We can say, depending on the position the functions occupy in the stack that how often we use them is:

1st function: Always or Almost Always

2nd function: Often

3rd function: Sometimes

4th function: Rarely

I like to think of your first function as your SUPERPOWER, the main Heroic quality of your Character. It is really well developed, beyond normal levels found in the population.

Your second function I think of as the Trusty Sidekick, which is not as powerful as the main hero, but still, has above average abilities and really contributes to the Hero doing its job well, by relieving the main hero of some responsibilities. While not as strong as a Superpower, still, the skills of the Sidekick are very well developed, so this I think of as the type’s SPECIAL ABILITY

The third function, I represent it as a companion that is along for the ride that is quite young, quite lacking experience and thus skill, but that has strokes of genius which although really unreliable, come in at times to provide surprising out-of-the-blue advantages to the overall team that makes up the psyche.

For me it’s a sort of MAGICAL GENIUS which cannot really be counted upon to be there whenever needed, but that can really surpass all expectations on ocasion. Being a relaxed and casual energy, at times, when it activates and comes fully online, it can seem as though the 3rd function is as strong as a Main function would be.

The difference is that while for any type their main function is performing at a really high level, it does so constantly, their third function can have moments or even periods when it operates at the same proficiency threshold, but it’s not all that constant.